Oneida baseball outlasts Camden to advance in Class A playoffs

CAMDEN >> Last season Oneida's baseball team entered the Class A playoffs as an eight seed and made a run to the semifinals, knocking off the No. 1 seed in the process.

This year No. 9 Oneida will have another chance to eliminate the top seed after beating Camden 4-3 in game that lasted nearly four hours and featured two rain delays. Kyle George drove in Dylan Cafalone from third with a two-out in the top of the eighth with the winning run under the lights at Camden Yards Tuesday night, setting up a Thursday showdown with top-seeded New Hartford.

"I was pumped," said Oneida's Mitch Cavanagh after the win. "It was the best feeling ever. Kyle always comes through for us like that."

While it was George who supplied the winning hit, Cavanagh was a big reason the game got to that point. He started a first-inning, two-out rally with a single. Drew Mallinder hit a single of his own and Matt Carinci brought both home with a double to the right-center field gap to stake Oneida starter Andrew Sreca to a 2-0 lead.

Sreca didn't allow a baserunner through the first two innings but got into trouble in the third. Garrett Mitchell singled and scored on Ryan McCarthy's RBI single and Nick Melchiore, who also singled, scored on a passed ball to tie the score at 2-2.

The visitors quickly retook the lead in the top of the fourth, again with a two-out rally. Sean Garbry put down a perfect bunt for a hit and Michael Lerch walked. George followed with an RBI single, advancing to second on an error. Camden head coach Jake Bates then moved Melchiore to pitcher to face Nate Carinci. Carinci hit a line drive to center field and Mitchell made a tremendous diving catch to save two runs and keep the Blue Devils within striking distance.

The play turned out to be huge in the bottom of the frame. Tyler Kimball and Joe Mitchell hit back-to-back doubles to tie the game and chase Sreca. Oneida head coach Jeff Skibitski turned to Cavanagh to shut the Blue Devils down and he did just that. After a wild pitch moved Mitchell to third, Cavanagh struck out Garrett Mitchell and got Melchiore to fly out to left field.

From there the game turned into a pitchers' duel, as well as a race to beat the storm clouds that appeared to be rolling in. Melchiore and Cavanagh breezed through the next two innings, each allowing only one hit, as the breeze intensified and raindrops began to fall.

"Mitchell (Cavanagh) showed he's really special on the mound," said Skibitski.

Oneida had a good chance to take the lead in the top of the seventh when Nate Carinci led off with a single. Cavanagh was at the plate when a booming thunderclap postponed the game. After a 45-minute delay, play resumed with Cavanagh looking to put his team on top. He was unable to do so as Melchiore got Cavanagh and Mallinder to fly out to center field and struck out Matt Carinci to send the game to the bottom of the seventh tied 3-3.

Tyler Campbell worked a full count to lead off the frame against Cavanagh before another thunderclap again cleared the field. During the second delay a heavy rain began to fall, worrying Skibitski.

"I was nervous that they might call (the game)," he said. "No way he (Cavanagh) would be able to pitch tomorrow."

Fortunately for Skibitski and his squad, the rain let up and after another nearly 40-minute delay play again resumed. Cavanagh came out throwing harder than he had been all game and struck Campbell out with his first pitch after play started. Melchiore followed with a groundout to third and McCarthy struck out swinging to end the frame, setting up George's heroics.

Cafalone got things started in the top of the eighth for Oneida, leading off with a single. He moved to second on Tyler Colvin's sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on a Lerch groundout. George stepped to the plate with two outs and hit a ground-ball single past the first and second baseman to give his squad the lead.

'It felt crazy when I got the RBI," said George. "I was pumped up. I wanted to get this game over with."

Cavanagh quickly did just that, striking out the side in the bottom of the eighth to advance his team to the quarterfinals.

"It's awesome," said Cavanagh. "I don't know what else to say. We played the one seed last year and killed them so we'll see what happens. I think we like being the underdog."

And while the Blue Devils season is over, Bates sees a bright future on the horizon.

"We've got some young, gritty kids who learned every day this year," Bates said. "It stings a little but hopefully we can carry this sting into next year. Our kids are fighters."

Skibitski agreed with Bates' assessment of his squad.

"I'm proud of my kids because Camden always plays hard," he said. "This was one of the best 8-9 matchups there's been in this tournament in a long time."

Now Oneida will look to recapture some of last year's magic with a game at New Hartford Thursday at 4:30.